Local presidential hopeful John Rigazio shares views with small audience at Rochester library

Friday

May 27, 2011 at 3:15 AM

By MIKE GREEARmgreear@fosters.com

ROCHESTER — Local retired businessman and former Rochester Citizen of the Year John Rigazio gave an impassioned speech Thursday night at the Rochester Public Library regarding his candidacy for U.S. president.

Speaking to a crowd of six people in the Eastern Propane Gas Community Meeting Room on the library's second floor, Rigazio, 79, spoke out on issues such as the mishandling of Social Security and the current state of American politics.

Rigazio said that if the government were to remove the current $106,800 cap on Social Security, the program would receive millions more in funding, and the "baby boomer" generation would be provided for. Instead, he said the government keeps bringing up blending Social Security with Medicare and Medicaid, which Rigazio said would be an economic catastrophe.

"Social Security don't need fixing, just stop stealing their money," Rigazio said, adding that asking the government to take care of the Social Security surplus is like "asking the fox to guard the hen house."

Rigazio also took time to speak out against health care reform, which he colorfully referred to in his book and in person as "a socialistic boondoggle incognito."

"It's going to be a job killer," Rigazio said. "It's going to make our trade less competitive in other countries, take small business and put them so they're not going to hire."

During his speech, which lasted about a half-hour, Rigazio also addressed concerns about big businesses such as Walmart, which he says are hurting the economy by purchasing items from China and selling them to Americans at "cut-throat" prices. He noted that while Walmart has promised to add 500,000 jobs in five years, half of those jobs will go overseas, and that the act of creating such jobs will put smaller companies out of business.

Rigazio has previously run as a Republican in the New Hampshire Presidential Primary in 2004 and 1992. During his speech, he said that he fears extremists from both sides of the political spectrum have too much control over their respective parties, and that it could eventually lead to "violent confrontations." However, he prefers to think of his political activism as purely constructive, without the destructive extremism of the Tea Party and other groups.

Rigazio greeted guests with a collection of his published political columns and interviews, a gift certificate for $5 at Friendly's restaurant, and a copy of his 2010 book, "America Is Now A Socialistic Country."

"We didn't vote for a socialistic government; however, through our federal government's irresponsibility, socialism is being forced on us," Rigazio said on the book's cover.

For some members of the audience, Rigazio's stand on Social Security reform was his strongest platform.

"That's my main retirement fund and I don't like anybody fooling around with it," said Dave Marquis, 70, a retired shipyard worker from Milton.

Marquis said that he thinks the government is being irresponsible by telling American citizens it is broke while funding wars that cost billions of dollars.

"The country's not broke, it's the priorities that are screwed up," Marquis said.

Rigazio said that although he was disappointed with the turnout, which he said struck a slight blow to his ego, he would nevertheless be on the ballot as an independent during the primary election.

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